The invention relates to collimators, and more particularly relates to collimators used with imaging gamma cameras.
A conventional gamma camera has a relatively large (perhaps 15 inches in diameter) sensitive crystal surface. When a conventional non-focusing parallel-hole collimator is used to image relatively small organs such as the heart or brain, a large fraction of the available crystal surface remains unutilized. This is disadvantageous because a low utilization of sensitive crystal surface decreases sensitivity and resolution and also increases the time required for imaging.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a device which would increase the utilization of the sensitive surface of a scintillation crystal when imaging relatively small organs such as the heart or brain.
One object of the invention is to increase the sensitivity and resolution of a gamma scintillation camera.
Another object is to increase gamma camera sensitivity and resolution when imaging small body organs, particularly the heart and brain.
Yet another object is to generally improve on known collimators for use with scintillation cameras.